Canadian lawmaker sorry for e-mailing Islamic links

Maria Mourani, a Parliament member from Quebec, apologized as well last week to the House of Commons and its 308 members for sending links to graphic photos of Gaza Palestinian casualties.

The apology came after the leader of her separatist Bloc Quebecois party and Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly rebuked her.

"My intention was to show the horrors of the war, since innocent civilians can be victims, as well as the destruction it causes," Mourani said. "However, before forwarding the bulletin to all members, I did not consult all the links included in the e-mail, as I should have."

The Feb. 3 e-mail included links to 14 videos and clips on YouTube. Jewish groups charged that the links originated with groups supporting Hamas, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade and Islamic Jihad.

The images depicted uniformed and masked men brandishing guns and bombs; the flags and symbols of Hamas and other groups; and a map of Israel indicating that it is under Islamic dominance. Still photos taken during Israel’s recent military operation in Gaza showed bloodied casualties, including children, and the destruction of property.

"Some of those links lead the reader to sites with videos containing hate propaganda, which I do not support in any way," Mourani said. "In fact, I condemn it."

Ron Csillag is JTA's correspondent in Toronto. He was a reporter for the Canadian Jewish News for 20 years. He is currently a freelance writer for the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and Religion News Service in Washington. He has a journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal and has been awarded both a Lilly and Gralla fellowship in religious journalism.